The University of Houston spent more than $500,000 on legal fees challenging a crosstown rival law school's new name over the past 10 months in a federal trademark dispute finally resolved through mediation, a university spokesman said Friday.

But the costs may continue to mount as UH faces potential trademark challenges from the Houston Astros and Houston Community College over its attempt to claim the word "Houston" for educational purposes.

UH filed a federal lawsuit against South Texas College of Law after it announced a name change to Houston College of Law. South Texas was hoping to raise its national stature with the new name, but UH contended that prospective law students would be confused by the similarity of the name and color schemes used by the two colleges.

When U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison ruled that UH was likely to succeed with its lawsuit, the 93-year-old private institution settled on a different name, South Texas College of Law Houston, that was acceptable to UH.